Shivagange is another popular trekking spot but is more famous for its religious significance and is also known as Dakshin Kashi. Shivagange is a great place for a trek. It lies a small distance away from Bangalore (60 kilometers) and therefore is ideal for a day trip.
Having a collection of solid rock structures, Shivagange offers a trekking enthusiast an exhilarating and tough trek. A steep hill with beautiful hovering clouds around gives all the hikers aerial views of the area. Mind you! this rocky hill is not easy to climb, but the railings put up all along the way will provide you with some ease.
This place also has religious significance because of the presence of small temples and shrines at regular intervals connected by steps. These treks give opportunities to climbers a place to sit, eat and relax as besides small temples, there are food stalls providing water and beverages.
A Place Meant For Pilgrims – Tourist Places In And Around Shivagange
Shivagange is basically a small hillock. It derives its name from the Shiva temple located right at the top of the hillock. In addition to this, there is a spring which adds to the charm of the place. The locals believe that the spring is an off-shoot of the holy Ganges and thus the name Shivagange. The Shiv temple atop the hill has given Shivagange the sobriquet of Dakshina Kashi.
Here the journey starts with calm and soothing beauty with a big water pool called "Kalyani" at the base of the hill. The topmost site on the hill is a magnificent viewpoint, also called Shantala drop has a statue of Nandi (Holy Bull) carved out of a single rock and a temple. Tourists can stay there and enjoy the breathtaking view.
Popular sights at Shivagange include the ancient Gangadhareshwara temple. Legend has it that there is a secret tunnel that connects this temple to the Gavi Gangadhareshwara temple in Bangalore. However, the tunnel has never been discovered. The Patala Ganga temple is the site where the spring gushes forth from under the earth and surprisingly, the water level keeps changing almost constantly.
The hillock has huge boulders and a rock-climbing session is a must for the adventure minded.
How To Reach Shivagange
Dabas Pet, the nearest town to Shivagange, is eight kilometers away. Those coming from Bangalore would have to board a bus to Tumkur and then pick a connection to Dabas Pet. There are private buses that operate between Dabas Pet and Shivagange.